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GENDER 208: Essay 2 Assignment
“Feminist Theory ‘Mix Tape’”
Semester 2, 2016
Due: Friday, Sept. 30th by 4.00 p.m.
As a summary and review assignment, this paper enables you to get creative as you think
about the main themes that have been highlighted in the readings this term. While I hope this
assignment will be more “fun” than a standard summary essay, it still requires you to do all
the things that summary essays ask: review class material, think seriously and critically about
the course content, and articulate thoughtful written responses to the subject matter.
Additionally, as our first week’s readings make clear, feminist theory is done in all kinds of
ways, and to be successful as “liberatory practice,” it has to be accessible and speak to
people “where they are.” Music, films, and novels frequently make arguments about ideas
(sometimes explicitly, other times inadvertently), and sometimes those arguments are about
gender, power, race, politics, and (in)justice. So in this assignment, you will be asked to think
about how and where you encounter feminist theory in “everyday life,” and you will do so by
developing a “feminist theory mix tape” that pairs songs, poems, novels, or films with key
themes from the course.
Your “mix tape” should make an argument; the compilation itself can be thought of as a
“syllabus” of the major issues or themes in feminist/gender theory. So as you are thinking
about how to organize your materials and what to focus on as you approach this assignment,
you can consider a couple of different tactics.
You could follow one main idea through the course (e.g., definitions or sources of
gender oppression; the power of identity in political activism; problems with coalition
building for gender justice, etc.);
or you could pick the overarching theme of each week as you understand it and
choose a song (or poem, documentary, film, or novel) that you think best represents
that theme, so that by the end, you have highlighted and interpreted the 9 (or 10) main
points you learned this semester;
or you could pick one reading from each week, and pick the song (poem, film, novel)
that best represents or illustrates that specific reading.
While the governing logic of your mix tape is up to you, the point is for every media
selection to have a reason behind its inclusion. To keep it manageable, your mix tape should
have no more than two entries corresponding to each week. As the assignment is due in
Week 10, you do not have to have an entry for that week. (You are allowed to have an entry
for that week, but you are not required to do so.) Hence, the total number of selections in
your compilation will be between 9 and 20, though I strongly encourage you to have no more
than 12; otherwise, you won’t be able to write enough in your liner notes about each piece to
offer a well-reasoned and interesting argument for the selection’s inclusion. Plus, you want to
keep it manageable!
The “liner notes”: back in the day when we consumed our music on vinyl, or even compact
discs, albums often included “liner notes”: an artist’s explanation about what motivated the
songs, or why they appeared in the order they did, or what message they were offering
through the music. The 1400 words that you write in this assignment will constitute your
liner notes providing context and explanation for the pairing of each song (poem, novel, film)
and text or weekly topic.
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You will need to format this differently than a standard essay:
The first page of the “paper” should be your mixtape title and media list (akin to the
song list on an album cover).
Inside the mixtape: start with a paragraph or two that explains your approach: did you
follow one theme through the whole course? If so, what was it, and why did you choose this
theme? Did you go with illustrating a different idea from each week? If so, how did you go
about choosing the idea or the representative reading? If you opted to choose different kinds
of media rather than sticking with only songs or only poems, why did you do this? (There
should be a good, substantive reason for doing so, not just because it was “easier.”) Were
some weeks/themes harder than others? Why?
Next: list each song (or poem, painting, documentary) individually and, in a few
sentences, explain what it’s doing there: why this piece of media for a given week? What
does it represent? Why is it a good example of the theme of your mixtape or the main idea of
that week? To list each piece of media, provide the title and—if you have a multi-media
mixtape—the format (poem, song, documentary). Additional details will depend on the kind
of media:
For songs, include the lyrics and name of the singer/band. You can also include a web
link if the song is available online at YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, or the artist’s
website (or similar).
For poems, include the text of the poem and author. If it’s published online, include a
link. If it’s published in a book, include full citation information for the book.
For documentaries or fiction movies, include a brief synopsis/plot summary from
IMDB or similar and a link to the movie’s website (if available). In addition to the title,
include the year of release and the director’s name.
For novels or comic books or similar, provide full bibliographic information and a
brief summary (as you would find on the back cover or on Goodreads or Amazon or similar.)
If you are using other media types (such as web series, famous artworks, etc.) and
have questions about how to list your material, please see me.
FAQ:
1. How long should this assignment be?
This assignment should be 1400 words (+/- 10%) of text that comprises your “liner
notes.” Your media examples are in addition to your liner notes word limit; e.g., if you
include poetry or song lyrics (or similar), these will not count against your word limit.
2. When is this assignment due?
Friday, Sept. 30th by 4.00 p.m.
3. What is the late penalty?
3 points per day. (Weekends count!)
4. What should I do if I need an extension?
This assignment requires you to do a little bit of work on it every week starting fairly
early in the semester, so you shouldn’t have a lot to do right before the deadline; hence
extensions due to having other essays due in your classes this week shouldn’t be necessary.
You will miss most of the point of this assignment if you wait until the week it’s due to start
working on it.
Extensions requested within three days of the due date will be granted only in rare
cases: e.g., death in the family; sudden, severe illness (yours); alien abduction (of you or a
close relative).
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5. Can I use different types of media in my “mix tape” or do I have to pick one and stick
with it?
While I have some preference for you choosing one media type and sticking with it
for the whole assignment because of the cohesiveness this would provide, I am also happy for
you to “mix and match” media types. If you do, however, please provide an explanation of
why you have done so. In either case (all one type of media, or mixed media) explain briefly
in your opening to the liner notes why you have chosen the media format(s) you have.
6. How do I submit this assignment?
There is a two-step submission process.
Step 1: submit to Turn It In.
Course ID Number: 12941906
Course Password: femtheory
Step 2: submit to the Assignment Desk at ARTS 1 Reception.
7. I know we’re doing a “mix tape” as a paper, but I got so into it that I created an
actual digital mix tape. Can I submit that?
Absolutely! (But you still have to submit the paper, too.) If you have a real mix tape,
you can submit it via a compact disc, USB drive, private youtube link, or upload it to
CANVAS to share with the class.
8. Can I include artwork or a cover of some sort on this mix tape/paper? Or artwork in
the paper itself?
Yes and yes!
9. How much of my final mark is this assignment worth?
This essay is worth 25% of your final course mark.
10. Should I use page numbers?
Yes, please!
11. What should I do if I want written feedback on this assignment?
Write “I would like written feedback” on the first or last page of the essay.
If you forget to do this before submitting the paper, but would like the feedback, send
me an email letting me know you’d like comments. But best is to write it on the essay itself.
I am happy to provide written feedback to any and all students who want it. I’m less
keen to spend hours writing comments if you know you’re not going to retrieve the essay or
read the comments. This is why I ask you to let me know if you want the feedback.
Whether or not you request feedback will have NO effect on your mark.
12. When should I start this assignment?
I suggest waiting a few weeks to get a sense of what resonates with you from the
readings and lectures and to have a think about what kind of organizational principle makes
sense to you and what kind of media you want to use.
That said, don’t wait too long to start it. By Week 4 or 5, you should have settled on
the organizational principle and media type, and you should begin selecting samples for your
mix tape. Keeping up with the assignment as you go along will help you summarize the
material as you go—solidifying knowledge—and make the week it’s due to be submitted
much, much easier for you. You’ll almost certainly produce more interesting liner notes and
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entries in your compilation as well. Some weeks’ themes will take more time to find the
‘right’ example.
13. I’m having a hard time imagining what this assignment should look like. Can you
provide me with an example?
Yes. I’ve mocked up an example of what this assignment might look like, though the
format will depend a bit on the kind of media you opt to use, so your mileage may vary.
Please note that this example is for illustrative purposes only. These songs wouldn’t
necessarily fit with the themes for the week listed; this is just to give a sense of how to
organize and present your material.
FRONT PAGE:
My Feminist Theory Mixtape, by Student B. Anthony
Week 1: Crucify (Tori Amos)
Week 2: In or Out (Ani DiFranco)
Week 3: Wave of Mutilation (Pixies)
Week 4: Doo Wop (Do That Thing) (Lauryn Hill)
Week 5: Just a Girl (No Doubt)
Week 6: Cold War (Janelle Monae)
Week 7: No Scrubs (TLC)
Week 8: Pretty Girls (Neko Case)
Week 9: God (Tori Amos)
PAGE 2-?:
Here is where to write a paragraph or two about why I have chosen to use only music
for my mixtape and why I am focusing on a dominant theme for each week, and how I picked
the theme for each week. I would also explain my overall argument about what I’ve learned
and address problems I had finding material (and what that tells me) or problems I had
culling material because there was so much of it.
Week 1: Crucify (Tori Amos)
From the album Little Earthquakes 1991. Warner Music Group
Official Music Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ipCKIxdHTs
{here is where I would write my liner notes for this entry explaining why
Crucify’s lyrics (and perhaps also its use of instruments and/or the context of its release) fits
with the themes that I’m focusing on this week: fears of being a ‘feminist killjoy’ and gender
norms and their seeming intractability. I might talk about why I think Crucify works
especially well to bring together key ideas from Audre Lorde’s ideas in “The Master’s Tools
Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” & Sara Ahmed’s “Feminist Killjoys.”}
Lyrics:
Every finger in the room was pointing at me, I wanna spit
In their faces then I get afraid of what that could bring
I got a bowling ball in my stomach, I got a desert in my mouth
Figures that my courage would choose to sell out now
I’ve been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
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I’ve been raising up my hands drive another nail in
Just what God needs one more victim
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Everyday I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
I crucify myself
Everyday I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being
I said, “My heart is sick of being in
Chains, chains”
Got a kick for a dog begging for love
I gotta I have my suffering so that I can have my cross
I know a cat named Easter, he says, “Will you ever learn
You’re just an empty cage girl if you kill the bird”
I’ve been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I’ve been raising up my hands, drive another nail in
Got enough guilt to start my own religion
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being
I said, “My heart is sick of being in
Chains, chains”
Please save me, I cry
Looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I’ve been raising up my hands, drive another nail in
Where’re those Angels when you need them?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being
I said, “My heart is sick of being in
Chains, chains”
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Every day
Week 2: In or Out (Ani DiFranco)
From the album Imperfectly. 1992. (Righteous Babe Records)
Official music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNgLFL8hqmI
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{few sentences to a paragraph of liner notes explaining why the song fits with the
week two themes and readings}
Lyrics:
guess there’s something wrong with me
guess I don’t fit in
no one wants to touch it
no one knows where to begin
I’ve got more than one membership
to more than one club
and I owe my life
to the people that I love
he looks me up and down
like he knows what time it is
like he’s got my number
like he thinks it’s his
he says,
call me, Miss DiFranco,
if there’s anything I can do
I say,
It’s Mr. DiFranco to you
somedays the line I walk
turns out to be straight
other days the line tends to
deviate
I’ve got no criteria for sex or race
I just want to hear your voice
I just want to see your face
She looks me up and down
like she thinks that I’m mature
like she’s got my number
like it belongs to her
she says,
call me, Ms. DiFranco
if there’s anything I can do
I say, I’ve got spots
I’ve got
stripes, too
their eyes are all asking
are you in, or are you out
and I think, oh man,
what is this about?
tonight you can’t put me
up on any shelf
’cause I came here alone
I’m gonna leave by myself
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I just want to show you
the way that I feel
and when I get tired
you can take the wheel
to me what’s more important
is the person that I bring
not just getting to the same restaurant
and eating the same thing
guess there’s something wrong with me
guess I don’t fit in
no one wants to touch it
no one knows where to begin
I’ve more than one membership
to more than one club
and I owe my life to the people that I love
(and your mixtape will continue from there)
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